-- The European Commission said Monday that it is expanding its Coal Regions in Transition initiative with new research, a relaunch of exchange programs, and additional working groups to speed up coal phase-outs across Europe.
The initiative supports coal-dependent regions by coordinating governments, industry, unions, NGOs and researchers on transition planning and economic restructuring. The next phase is to focus on improving coordination and sharing best practices across affected areas.
A new research effort is set to assess the current status of coal phase-out in EU regions and is expected to guide future energy policy and support measures.
The ExchangeEU program will be relaunched soon to strengthen cooperation and knowledge-sharing among transitioning regions. New working groups will launch in mid-2026, covering clean energy deployment, grid flexibility, just transition planning and competitiveness.
The initiative will also align more closely with other EU climate programs and European Investment Bank-supported technical assistance to improve investment planning. Upcoming events include a session at the EU Sustainable Energy Days on May 12 and a stakeholder meeting in Bochum, Germany, in September.